Niketas of Mistheia and his allies prepared another campaign against al-Maniqa. He first captured Rafaniyya, together with 10,000 prisoners, who were given safe passage. He pulled down the town's six towers. He then besieged and captured Safita, rescuing a Byzantine commander imprisoned there, who had been trying to gain his freedom by ransom. At al-Maniqa he filled in the deep ravine in front of it, installed siege machines, breached the walls, demolished some towers and captured the fort after a 13-day siege with 810 prisoners. Among them were the wife and four daughters of Nasr ibn Musharraf, who abandoned them to their fate. Niketas burned the stone with which he had filled the ravine, making lime with which to repair the damaged walls. He established a garrison with equipment and supplies, and left